Iran May Defend Some Areas as Turkish Operation Begins in Aleppo

Iranian militias fear the start of the Turkish military operation in northern Syria, according to Baladi News.

Iranian militias fear the start of the Turkish military operation in northern Syria, due to the proximity of their areas of operation in the areas of Nubl and al-Zahraa north of Aleppo to the city of Tal Rifaat –which the Turkish army and the Syrian National Army want to control. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed this news a few days ago.

The Truth About 60,000 Russian Troops in Syria

Enab Baladi says Russia exaggerates the number of soldiers it keeps in Syria.

Speculation has swept over the past few weeks about the number of Russian soldiers present in Syria, in light of reports that Russia has reduced that number, according to what was reported by Russian media that does not reflect the official vision in Moscow.

President Assad to RT: Russia Restored Lost International Balance

President Bashar al-Assad has stressed that Russia is subjected to a war that cannot be linked to the issue of NATO expansion alone. Instead, it is a continuous war that did not stop even before communism or World War I, affirming that the strength of Russia today constitutes a restoration of the lost international balance.

Conflict Trends Update

IRAN

In a 30-2 vote (with three abstentions), the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Board of Governors on Wednesday passed a resolution censuring Iran’s lack of cooperation in answering agency safeguards concerns on activities at undeclared sites.

With Lavrov in Turkey, a different war may dominate talks

When Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visits his Turkish counterpart, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, in Ankara this week, Turkey’s proposal to establish a safe transport corridor for Ukrainian grain exports will be a top agenda item. If realized, the Black Sea corridor would require a naval escort, mine-clearing, and inspections to ensure that grain ships do not transport weapons—delicate tasks that necessitate a Turkish role because of the country’s geography. There is plenty at stake: The United Nations and economists are warning that continued blockage of Ukrainian grain exports could lead to famine and instability in Africa and privation elsewhere. Meanwhile, Ukraine has accused Russia of looting its grain.

Turkey Is Playing With Fire in Syria—Again

While the war in Syria has receded from the international spotlight, residents in the country’s northeast are bracing for a new wave of armed conflict. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has for months threatened to launch a military invasion of the region to push back Syrian Kurdish fighters and create a buffer zone in the border area between the two countries. Turkish military deployments and diplomatic outreach to Russia suggest that a decision from Ankara to launch a military operation is likely and may even possibly be imminent.